TRASHY BUSINESS: Atwood Lake Amphitheater in Mineral City, Ohio, is making the task of handling concert waste public-facing, with the help of the nonprofit group Rural Action. (Courtesy Rural Action)
Demonstration sorting could well catch attention
Sustainability efforts are top of mind and front of house at Atwood Lake Amphitheater in Mineral City, Ohio.
The outdoor venue is in a park on the edge of one of 10 lakes that make up the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy.
The Conservancy partnered with nonprofit Rural Action, which conducted several waste audits at the system of parks, to make the task of handling concert waste public-facing, with on-site sorting including a “beeramid” of cans.
“Why we decided to do a zero-waste event for Country Waves fest was to reduce the waste we saw last year,” said Paige Hay, sustainability coordinator for the Conservancy. “There were a lot of bottles and cans that were basically going to a landfill. We needed to do something about it. We already work to reduce our waste, but we need to do more.”
During Country Waves music fest on Saturday, Rural Action will collect and then sort waste via a conveyor belt into piles for recycling, composting and trash. The conservation partners have also constructed a water refill station to reduce waste and vendors have been asked to use biodegradable (BPI-certified) food containers.
The visual component of sorting and collecting is intended to help connect attendees to the effort, allowing them to see the byproduct of being mindful of waste
“It brings an educational piece and an eye-opening experience for the people that are coming in,” Hay said. “They go, they eat, they drink, they throw it away. They don’t get to see it as a whole and this is an educational piece that will open their eyes.”
Once sorted, the waste will be weighed to give organizers strong data about diversion rates that will help set future goals.
“It’s key, 100-percent important,” said Jon Flinn, Rural Action Zero Waste program manager. “It really shows the attendees that there is somebody dealing with the waste and it gives us an opportunity to engage and have that educational component. Our goal is to demystify things around recycling and composting.”
Connecting the dots and pop tops will be a pyramid of beverage cans. A beeramid is slated to be constructed during the five-hour music event, which has a potential audience of 5,000.
“The beeramid is a fun way to stack up the story about cans that are recyclable,” said Flinn, adding that at the end of some events they have beeramids and “can castles” that are 15 to 20 feet tall.
The initiative is providing a foundation for future sustainable events at the amphitheater, which is nestled in a wooded 300-acre compound 30 miles south of Canton, Ohio. The Conservancy, which was created after the region flooded in 1913, is focused on a mission of flood mitigation, conservation and recreation.
In its second year, Country Waves features Joe Nichols and Travis Denning. “I think it’s a great thing that we are cleaning up after ourselves,” Nichols said. “If only I could get my children to do that every time they play.”
